Nualnong Wongtongkam

A Trial of Mindfulness Meditation to Reduce Anger and Violence in Thai Youth

Mindfulness meditation techniques are increasingly being used to treat problematic anger and aggressive behaviour, and yet the evidence base to support the effectiveness of these methods remains limited. This paper describes a trial of a mindfulness meditation intervention delivered to technical college students in Thailand. A total of 40 students received the intervention and changes on a series of self-report assessments of anger expression and violent behaviour were compared with those of a group of 56 students who did not receive the intervention. The intervention did not appear to lead to major reductions in self-reported anger or violence, although qualitative data elicited from interviews with participants suggested that the students had improved their self-regulation skills and developed greater self-awareness. It is concluded that this type of intervention may have value in preventing violence amongst Thai youth, but that more trials and stronger evaluation designs are needed to establish this.

Student Perspectives on the Reasons for Physical Violence in a Thai Vocational College: An Exploratory Study

Physical violence in Bangkok schools has been the subject of considerable public concern in recent years and yet relatively little is known about the nature of violence perpetrated by vocational college students. This study sought to understand the reasons for such violence through a series of semi-structured interviews with 32 male students. The analysis identified revenge from previous fights as a key motivation for violence. Students described a range of different responses to threats of violence, including renting safe accommodation and concealing weapons. These findings are discussed in relation to how an understanding of cross-cultural risk factors for violence is important for the development of effective prevention strategies.

The Influence of Chronic Illness and Lifestyle Behaviors on Quality of Life among Older Thais

Chronic conditions and lifestyle behaviors have a detrimental influence on the quality of life for seniors because of physical disability and emotional concerns. This study aimed to assess the influence of chronic illness, smoking, and alcohol use on quality of life among Thai seniors. A cross-sectional study was conducted in three communities, selected purposively from the North, Northeast, and Central regions, and 1278 senior participants were recruited. Binary logistic regression was used to predict the influence of factors on quality of life with adjusted covariates. Most participants were aged 60–70 years and married, earned 500–1,000 Baht/month (US

The influence of a mindfulness-based intervention on job satisfaction and work-related stress and anxiety

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Exploring the relationship between victims and witnesses of aggression and anger expression in Thai adolescents

35), had one chronic illness, and were nonsmokers and nondrinkers. Surprisingly, there appeared to be no link between chronic conditions and quality of life. Current drinkers were more likely to have a high quality of life, with Odds Ratios of 2.16 for men and 2.73 for women. Seniors of both genders who were current drinkers were more likely to accept death and dying and this improved their quality of life. Social participation in alcohol consumption may encourage seniors to share their concerns about death and dying and eventually accept this as a foundation of life.

Association of demographic, lifestyle factors and serum biomarkers with hypertension in elderly Chinese people

Abstract Workplace mindfulness is a recognised tool for enhancing health and well-being of university staff and may result in better task performance and satisfaction in the workplace. The study examined the beneficial effects of mindfulness meditation on job satisfaction, mindful awareness and anxiety levels in university personnel. Mixed methods with a quasi-experiment and in-depth interviews were used. Fifteen participants engaged in a mindfulness meditation approach and five volunteers were interviewed. The findings showed a significant increase in awareness, with staying focused (t(14) = –3.09, p = .00), noticing feelings of physical tension (t(14) = –4.00, p = .00), being aware of running automatically (t(14) = –3.55, p = .00) and not being preoccupied with the future or the past (t(14) = –2.69, p = .01), respectively. Mindfulness was also effective in reducing sleep disturbance. Qualitative results demonstrated the mindfulness approach contributed to calmness and relaxation, and increased ability to handle difficult matters in the workplace. Apart from helping participants to better manage emotions, the mindfulness intervention could promote better relationships towards family members and reduce blood pressure to normal levels. Therefore, mindfulness meditation should be promoted across academic settings to enhance job performance and satisfaction and reduce work-related stress.

An association of serum ALT with elevated blood pressure in senior adults: a case-control study

Objective: Young people who are victims of, or witnesses to, aggression are at increased risk of developing a psychological disorder and behaving aggressively themselves. The aim of this study was to report the prevalence of exposure to aggression in a sample of 1 770 students, aged 15–26 years recruited from technical colleges in Thailand. Method: Self-report questionnaires were used to assess the prevalence rates for both experiencing aggression as a victim and for witnessing an aggressive incident. Logistic regression methods were then used to examine the possible association between acting aggressively and being a victim of, or a witness to, aggression. Results: In the previous six months, over half of all students reported being yelled at and had witnessed friends being hit. Those students who reported ‘being pushed’ or ‘being hit’ themselves had higher levels of anger expression. Being an indirect victim and witnessing aggression were only weakly associated with anger expression. Conclusions: Adolescents in Thailand experience high rates of victimisation and commonly witness aggression. Being personally victimised was shown to be significantly related to a subsequent expression of anger, suggesting that interventions to prevent direct confrontation may help to reduce the likelihood of victims becoming perpetrators.

Partial Efficacy of Vipassana Mindfulness Approach in Alcohol-Dependent Persons

ABSTRACT Hypertension is a major cause of premature death in China. Understanding risk factors including behavioural and predisposing factors may help to prevent development of hypertension and control the extent of premature mortality. In this case-control design conducted in Hunan province, 416 hypertensive subjects were matched with an equal number of normotensive persons from nearly 9,000 volunteers. A self-report questionnaire was employed to collect demographic and lifestyle information, and fasting serum biomarkers related to lipid profile, renal function, glucose level and uric acid were assessed. When age and sex were stratified, serum biomarkers such as blood urea nitrogen and triglycerides showed a significant difference for hypertension, while lifestyle behaviours including university degree, alcohol use, Body Mass Index and psychological stress (job and married life) were also associated with hypertension. After adjusting for covariate confounding factors, only elevated triglyceride levels were strongly linked to high blood pressure, odds ratio = 1.55, 95 per cent confidence level = 1.16–2.06. To control high blood pressure, hypertriglyceridemia should be included in hypertension treatment and followed up to assess the substantial risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Influence of socioeconomic factors on daily life activities and quality of life of Thai elderly

ABSTRACT Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in China; hence, identifying good serum markers might provide cost benefits in terms of reducing morbidity rates. In this population-based case-control study, participants were recruited from five districts in Hunan province, and 416 cases were matched with an equal number of controls. Markers related to elevated blood pressure were assessed: Body Mass Index, total cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, and creatinine. Three potential serum markers homocysteine (HCY), C-reactive protein (CRP), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were dichotomized as normal or high level. Binary logistic regression was used to determine odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The findings showed that ALT is a powerful serum marker for predicting high risk of high blood pressure with OR = 2.94, 95% CI (1.44–6.02), while there were no significant differences between cases and controls for HCY and CRP. Additionally, it seems likely that high concentrations of HCY conferred a protective effect against elevated blood pressure. When adjusted for sex, ORs for hypertensive females were nearly five times higher than for hypertensive males (OR = 4.34, 95% CI = 1.17–16.04). The study strongly supports findings showing ALT is a potential indicator for patients with hypertension.

An exploration of violence against paramedics, burnout and post-traumatic symptoms in two Australian ambulance services

ABSTRACT Alcohol-dependent persons who drink to manage negative emotions are likely to become lifetime drinkers. The study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of Vipassana mindfulness on alcohol intake, depression, and empathetic responses at a rehabilitation center. Mixed methods were employed, with a battery of self-report instruments (depression, cognitive, and daily drinking) and a focus group interview. There were 23 alcohol-dependent males in the intervention group and 22 in the control group. Participants completed questionnaires one week before and one month after intervention, and a focus group was held with 15 intervention participants at one-month follow-up. The intervention consisted of 2 hours a day of sitting and walking with Vipassana mindfulness for 5 consecutive days. At pretest, intervention and control groups had similar scores on demographic, alcohol intake, and depression variables. When comparing pre- and posttest scores within each group, the intervention group had lower cognitive and total depression scores postintervention, but the difference was not significant. In the focus group, participants said they had no time to practice mindfulness regularly, which may have been a reason for only gaining partial benefits from Vipassana mindfulness. Additionally, participants’ previous mindfulness experiences may have limited the success of the mindfulness approach.